Bookbinding machine



v 1,640,918 Aug 30 1927 G. H. AUSTIN BOOKBINDING MACHINE i Filed May 27, 1924 s Sheets-sheet 2 Fi .3 16 g l, 17 az 30 "17 45 25 17 19 2,6

z ,/Z 2f* E Z7 Q [it al @a i HE 3o .'7 I 30 l Lmf Lml F194 lwen/J, Geofr'geH/gusfifm 1,640,918 Aug 30 1927 G. H. AUSTIN BOOKBINDING MACHINE Filed May 27, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 t may.'

Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

UNITED STATES e 1,640,918 PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. AUSTIN, or READING, MAssACInIsETTs,l AssIGNbR, EY VMEsNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TOsAMUEn WARD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or BOSTON, MASSACHU- sETTs, A CORPORATION or MASSACHUSETTS. I

BOOKBINDING MACIi'INE.

Application mea May 27, 15221. se'iai N'o. viailis.

The object of this invention is the construction of substantially automatic means for applying fabric orI leather to vthe boards designed to form the coversfor books; and the particular function which 1 am Seeking to accomplish is that of folding the fabric or leather over the edges of the boards` especially where the saine have rounded corners.' .V

To this end 1 provid-e a mold havinga suction-bottom upon which the cover and fabric are laid, the suction-bottom or plateA then descending a shortdistance to turn the projecting edgesof the fabric vertically upward; then the walls of the mold move inward and f old the fabric. yedges vover onto the cover, followed by a downward pressure upon these walls to cause the fabric edges to adhere to the cover, the fabric having pr-eviously been gummed.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Fig. .1 is a plan view of the mold, parts thereof being broken away and in section. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on th'e irregular line 2-2, in 1. Fig. v3 is a side elevation of the machine, a part being broken away and in section. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the plunger. Fig. 5 vis a sectional detail elevation on a larger scale showing the lingers for acting upon the roundedcorners of the covers. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the under side of the two superposed fingers. Fig. 7 is a sectional detail elevation of one of the movable side walls of the mold and its operative mechanism.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the m'old comprises a bas-e V1 centrally recessed, as at 2, to fit the book cover for which the machine is designed. Vertically movable within this recess is a vacuum bottom or floor consisting of a thin chamber 3 whose top plate 4 is perforated around its margin, as at 5, and which is yieldingly retained in its uppermost -position by springs 6. A tube 7 opening through th-e bottom plate 9 and vertically movable in the base 1, is connected by means of a rubber tube 10 to a suitable suction pump for exhausting the air in the chamber 3; and av yoke 11 attached to the tube just below the base 1 is connected with a treadle or other means for lowering the chamber or floor.

At each end of the mold is a slidable block '19 ftensasing the atifriaionrous 15 ana thereby iiiging all the blocks 12 and 13 a suitable distance inward.

For retracti'ng these blocks, the Abase 1 has vhol-es drilled therein close to the lateral sides of the blocks, yand Cutting through the vertical faces of the corner pieces20, as 21 in Fig, 1, and pressure springs 22 are located in these'. holes to press against pins 23 `projecting from the blocks. A screw plug 24 closes the Outerend of each hole and also serves as a stop.v by itsengageinent with ahpin 23, to limit the outward rpla-y lof the blocks. A

A plate 25 secured to the corner pieces-20 and resting lightly upon the blocks 12, 13, serves to retain the latter in the slide-ways provided therefor. v

As the covers are of. the type having roundedcorners, I provide narrow slides 26 and 27 for Aeach -corner ofthe mold, which are disposed at an angle of 450, as shown in 1, the two being shown in Fig. -5. The lower slide 27 is about equal in thickness to the cover and its fabric or leather facing, and has its inner end concaved to lit the rounded corner of the cover, as shown in 6. This slide 27 is not moved positively, but 'ismoved by means of a spring 29 connected with ,t e upper slide 26, which is actuated by a liig 30 depending from the plunger 16 similar to those above described but narrower to enter the narrow slot 31 in the slide. A tension spring 32 retracts the slide 26, and the pins 33, 34 cause the under slide to be simultaneously retracted. A screw 35 in the lug 36 limits the retraction of the upper slide.

The inner end of each upper slide is not rounded, but is given a right angled recess, as at 37 in Fig. l.

The parts are so adjusted that the blocks 12 and 13 are moved inward a trifle earlier in order that the ends of the upper slides over the cover after the latter has been depressed.

In the bottom of the recess 2 are located two wedges upon which the under plate of the suction chamber 3 is seated when drawn downward by the pull of the straps 11 on the tube 7. By longitudinally adjusting these wedges, the suction chamber and hence the top plate 4 are raised or lowered to accommodate different thicknesses of cover and of fabric or leather. The illustrated means for adjusting these wedges consists of a knurled headed screw 41 for each, held from longitudinal play by any suitable means, and engaging a nut 42 held in jaws at an end of a wedge 40.

The operation of the machine is as follows: A pair of covers having been properly located upon a gummed sheet of fabric or leather, with the edges of the latter eXtending uniformly beyondthe covers edges for about three-eighths of an inch all around, the same are placed upon the top plate 4 with the edges of the fabric coinciding with the inner edges of the plate 25. The vacuum chamber 3 is then put into communication with the suction pump thereby drawingthe cover tightly down upon the plate 4, and immediately after the chamber is pulled mechanically downward to its limit drawing the fabric and cover down with it.` The surrounding walls of the mold, consisting of the blocks 12 and 13, as the fabric descends, turns the latters edges vertically upward. Following this, the blocks 12, 13 move inward and then the slides 26, 27; the slides 27 coming at rest against the rounded corners of the cover, thereby ensuring them against wrinkles, while the blocks 12, 13

and the slides 26 pass on for a short distance folding the fabricV edges down upon the cover. This alone is insufficient to perfectly paste the fabric edges toV the cover.

To do this, the plunger 16 is provided with a pressure block equal Vin horizontal dimensions to slightly less than the opening through the plate 25; which block at the end Aof the plungers downward stroke, descends The air being shut off and the plunger "i suffered to rise, followed by the vacuum chamber, the completed cover is removed and another gummcd one put in place. It is well'not to have the blocks 12, 13 and the slides 26 taper somewhat; in other words, i be thinner toward their outer extremes, 1nA

orderI that as the pressure block 45 descends upon their inner' extremes, the `latter can rock downward and so make sure of effecting the proper action upon the fabric edges. I

In Figs. 5 and 7, the fabric edges 46 are shown as only partially flattened down upon the cover 47, since the blocks 12, 13 and lslides 26 have not yet completed their in ward travel.

lVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a machine for applying fabric and the like to book covers, an air tight chamber having a flat top plate provided with a scries of closely disposed holes adjacent its edges, and means for temporarily creating a vacuum in said chamber and ythereby tightly holding the fabric and cover upon said plate while the edges of the fabric are folded over upon the cover.

2. In a machine for applying fabric and the like to covers, a mold, a vertically movable bottom plate therein, and supports for adjustably limiting the descent of said plate, said supports consisting of wedges each having a screw for its longitudinal adjustment.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing invention, I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of`May, 1924.

GEORGE H. AUSTIN. 

